John Smith (Ohio politician, died 1824) facts for kids

John Smith (around 1735 – July 30, 1824) was one of the very first U.S. senators from the state of Ohio. He stepped down from his role in the Senate because people thought he was involved in a secret plan.

Early Life and Business

We don't know much about John Smith's early life. There are different ideas about where he was born. Some say it was in the Virginia Colony, while others suggest Hamilton County, Ohio. The names of his parents are also unknown.

John Smith studied to become a religious leader. In the 1790s, he was a pastor at a Baptist Church in Columbia, which is now part of Cincinnati, Ohio. Some people believe this was the first Baptist Church in modern Ohio.

Later, he started a successful business. He provided supplies to army camps near Cincinnati, Ohio. He also owned several mills that processed grain. In 1799, John Smith and his helper, Reuben Kemper, were among the first American merchants to ship goods to Baton Rouge. They sent valuable items like fine clothes and home furnishings.

Political Career

John Smith became involved in politics in the Northwest Territory. He was a member of the territory's legislature from 1799 to 1803. In 1802, he was a delegate at the meeting to create Ohio's state constitution. He was a key leader who wanted Ohio to become a state, which was different from what the Territorial Governor, Arthur St. Clair, wanted.

When Ohio officially became a state, John Smith was chosen to be one of its first two U.S. senators. He was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. He served in the Senate from 1803 to 1808.

Challenges in the Senate

While serving in the Senate, John Smith continued his trading businesses in Louisiana and West Florida. He also invested in many land deals.

In 1805, Aaron Burr, who used to be the Vice President, asked John Smith for help. Burr was planning a secret trip that involved Spanish lands. John Smith said he wasn't interested in Burr's main plan. However, he did agree to provide supplies for the trip.

Later, President Thomas Jefferson warned everyone that Burr's real goal was to invade Mexico. John Smith then showed his loyalty to the country. He paid for weapons to defend against Burr's group and delivered them to New Orleans. Because of these trips, he missed several weeks of Senate meetings. This led the Ohio legislature to say he wasn't doing his job and asked him to resign.

John Smith did not resign right away. But his problems grew when a court in Richmond, Virginia, accused him of being part of Burr's secret plan in mid-1807. As he traveled to Richmond, he found out the accusations against him were dropped. This happened after the court found Burr not guilty on a small legal detail.

On December 31, 1807, a Senate group led by John Quincy Adams suggested that John Smith should be removed from the Senate. A trial was held in 1808, with Adams leading the case against Smith. John Smith was defended by famous lawyers Francis Scott Key and Robert Goodloe Harper. They argued that Smith might have been too trusting, but he was not a traitor. The vote to remove him failed by just one vote. John Smith resigned on April 25, which was the last day Congress was meeting that year.

Later Life

John Smith had been good friends with President Thomas Jefferson when he first started in the Senate. However, their friendship ended because of the accusations against Smith. This also ruined Smith's political career.

John Smith faced financial difficulties and later moved to St. Francisville, Louisiana. There, he became a Methodist preacher.

Some old records from 1894 say that John Smith died in Hamilton County, Ohio, on June 10, 1816. However, this seems to be incorrect. Other sources and his obituary agree that he passed away on July 30, 1824, in St. Francisville, Louisiana.